This is a very nice thread BTK, I just wish I read more books. I haven't read to many books and the only horror books I've read is The Shining, Christine, Pet Semetary, Night Chills, and Tick Tock. So I guess the authors I would mention would be Stephen King and Dean Koontz- even thought they are hugely popular and have lots of respect.

I got nothing when it comes to Horror authors, except maybe Richard Matheson. He's highly regarded by older folks but the younger generation doesn't seem to realize the important role he played in American horror.

As for authors in general, James Ellroy and Elmore Leonard come to mind. Ellroy is my favorite author, hands down; he writes rich, complex, violent crime thrillers usually set in 40s & 50s LA. His obsession with the LAPD and the golden age of Hollywood, fused with his knack for dirty, ugly violence and murder mysteries really sets him above the majority of crime/thriller writers. Actually, in my opinion, he's about the best crime fiction author we've got. His was the book the film LA Confidential was based on and, great as that flick was, it doesn't come close to the detail and complexity of his novel. What's been called his "LA Quartet" are my favorite series of books, and include The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, LA Confidential and, the fourth book in the series and my personal favorite book, White Jazz.

Elmore Leonard is another crime fiction author who I'm a big fan of. Unlike Ellroy, Leonard's stories are more tongue-in-cheek, hip and cool. If you've ever seen Jackie Brown (based on the novel Rum Punch) or Out of Sight (same title as the book), you'll have an idea of Leonard's style.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child aren't horror authors, per se, but I think they deserve a mention. Together they've written a ton of books most of which feature Special Agent Pendergast, an eccentric Federal Agent who takes the "weird" cases. The movie The Relic was based on their book. The movie, I'll admit, is terrible (I still kind of like it ) but the book is excellent, as is the sequel Reliquary.

Jeff Long's The Descent is also a great read. It has nothing to do with the movie.

shaun hutsonIs the most underrated horror Authors ever.His books are Amazing, i loved most of his books, some of his books are full of blood and gore and it would make one hell of great horror movie.

some of his books are creepy and scary like Lucy's Child (This was book that got me into reading, i am clad i did, cause, i would be missing out one of greatest horror writerof all time, it a shame it's only SK books that get turned into a movies,

all these Shaun hutson books would be great as horror moviesAssassin- Bloodbath, awesome book 10/10 MUST. MUST READErebus- Not my fav, but it be hell of a movie 7/10Deathday- Gore, blood and more BLOOD, 10/10Spawn- A Masterpiece 10/10 MUST READ Necessary Evil- Gory 9/10Purity- who the killer? 9/10Renegades- action packed 8/10Lucy's Child 10/10 (Creepy) Body Count - This more of Horror/Thriller ( Rob Zombie should make this as movie as it sound perfect for him) here the plot of the book.

Wounded. Exhausted. Losing blood. The figure in the mask stumbles through the streets. Closing in are others in masks but they don't stumble, they stalk. They carry machetes, clubs and knives. And they know how to use them. They've killed before and they're going to kill again. Who is kidnapping seemingly random victims and then slaughtering them in an elaborate game of cat and mouse? And why are these murders being streamed over the internet? Watching the horror unfold at New Scotland Yard is Detective Inspector Joe Chapman and his team. Chapman searches for clues, hints - anything that might tell him where and when this savage hunt is happening. He'd give anything to know. He'd give almost anything to stop them. Unfortunately for DI Chapman, 'almost' anything might not be enough...

Agree Lady Z. Swan Song is probably one of the longest books I have read (about a thousand pages) but it flew right by. Possibly the greatest post-apocalyptic book ever written.

As fas as other authors, I dont real a lot of horror novels. Just doesnt do much for me. I will say Scott Sigler wrote two cool books titles Infected and Contagious. They are kind of sci-fi/horror/thriller books. Infected is first followed by Contagious. It's mostly about the spread of an alien parasite but there is some good blood shed and kills because the parasties turn people paranoid.

For sure, Robert McCammon. If you haven't read anything by this man, do it NOW.Swan Song is fantastic

Swan Song my favorite McCammon novel. He is an amazing writer right up there with King, Barker, etcRead every book he wrote starting with BAAL in 1978 up to Gone South in 1992. After 10 long years wondering what happened to Robert R.Speaks The Nightbird(2002) did not sing for me.

Greg Isles. He doesn't write horror, he writes crime stories, but his books are very unnerving and very touching at times. His characters feel like people you want to know in real life, that's pretty hard to achieve. Someone mentioned Scott Sigler as well, amazing writer!I would like to see David Moody get more love, the atmosphere and tension in his books is incomparable to anyone!!

I don't read a lot of fiction, but I'm a big fan of Jasper Fforde and Michael Chabon. I like my books laced with sophisticated vocabulary and complex and interesting language. For that reason you'd never catch me reading a Dan Brown or Stephen King novel. The only horror author who has impressed me is Bram Stoker.

Agree with a lot of the choices: Jack Ketchum, Brian Keene, David Wellington, Joe Hill (king's son), John A Lindqvist , Kim Paffenroth

For classic tales I'd say: OLD stephen King, Clive Barker, David J. Schow (love some good old fashion splatterpunk). Ones I read as a teen but still hold up as quick summer reads: Ruby Jean Jensen, HP Lovecraft.

Also more the category of thriller or mystery but Michael Slade has some really gruesome ones on the market too.